Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 49.65
Liaison Jennifer Bodine
Submission Date Feb. 19, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Weber State University
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 6.31 / 10.00 Jennifer Bodine
Sustainability Specialist
Facilities Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
Yes

Does the institution’s GHG emissions inventory include all, some or none of its Scope 3 GHG emissions from the following categories?:
All, Some, or None
Business travel Some
Commuting All
Purchased goods and services None
Capital goods None
Waste generated in operations All
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 All
Other categories None

A copy of the most recent GHG emissions inventory:
A brief description of the methodology and/or tool used to complete the GHG emissions inventory, including how the institution accounted for each category of Scope 3 emissions reported above:

Weber State University's sustainability coordinator collects all of the necessary data and inputs the data into the Sustainability Indicator Management & Analysis Platform (SIMAP).


Has the GHG emissions inventory been validated internally by personnel who are independent of the GHG accounting and reporting process and/or verified by an independent, external third party?:
No

A brief description of the internal and/or external verification process:
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Documentation to support the internal and/or external verification process:
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Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 and Part 3 of this credit? (reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions):
Yes

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 6,854 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 9,619.62 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 617.55 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 731.98 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 6,246 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 14,994.65 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Total 13,717.55 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 25,346.25 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2016 June 30, 2017
Baseline Year July 1, 2006 June 30, 2007

A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):

FY 2007 is the year that WSU became an ACUPCC signatory and made the commitment to become a carbon neutral campus. This is the year we have used as our baseline for all of our ACUPCC reports and all internal reporting.


Figures needed to determine total carbon offsets:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased (exclude purchased RECs/GOs) 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Institution-catalyzed carbon offsets generated 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon sequestration due to land that the institution manages specifically for sequestration 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon storage from on-site composting 25.87 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon offsets included above for which the emissions reductions have been sold or transferred by the institution 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Net carbon offsets 25.87 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the offsets in each category reported above, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):

The only offsets generated by WSU are via the on campus composting program. Estimated tons of CO2 equivalent are provided by SIMAP.


Emissions reductions attributable to Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) or Guarantee of Origin (GO) purchases:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Emissions reductions attributable to REC/GO purchases 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the purchased RECs/GOs including vendor, project source and verification program:
---

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 13,691.68 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 25,346.25 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 834 475
Number of employees resident on-site 5 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 17,436 12,692
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 1,866 1,516
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 7,034 1,828
Weighted campus users 9,410.75 9,403.75

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user 1.45 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 2.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
46.02

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
3,072,262 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 30,001 Square feet
Healthcare space 7,941 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 27,843 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
3,175,989 Gross square feet

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
0.00 MtCO2e per square foot

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions
Business travel 3,599.66 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 26,919.22 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services ---
Capital goods ---
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 ---
Waste generated in operations 225.29 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other categories 372.02 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:

WSU has an aggressive energy efficiency and GHG emissions reduction program. In 2009, the University had an investment-grade audit completed by AMERESCO and all of the projects identified by the audit have been completed. Some of those initial projects included insulating the chilled water and steam lines throughout the district heating and cooling tunnels, upgrading to high efficiency florescent bulbs across all of campus, installing VFDs and upgrading motors, improving building insulation and glazing, and improving automation and controls.

WSU is now implementing its second wave of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. For example, WSU is 75% of the way finished with an entire university-wide LED upgrade (both interior and exterior lights). And for the past three to four years, WSU has been completing full mechanical system upgrades on existing buildings to transition the building over to all-electric, high coefficient of performance variable refrigerant flow systems with Energy Recovery Ventilation systems. Two large ground source well fields have also been constructed on the Ogden campus and are tied into the campus chilled water loop. Utilizing VRF systems allows heat to be shared within buildings and coupling that technology with ground source systems, tied into the central chilled water plant, allows for heat to be shared between buildings as well. Therefore the need for simultaneous heating and cooling is eliminated and significant energy is saved. About 25% of campus has been converted to this system to date.

This strategy allows WSU to electrify its buildings and and eliminate the need for natural gas. Then the university will look to source that electricity from renewable sources. WSU has several small solar projects on campus but the largest project, a 1.85 MW array, was completed two years ago on the Davis Campus. This array provides all of the electricity that the Davis Campus needs. WSU will be breaking ground on its largest solar array on the Ogden campus this April; a 600 KW solar covered parking array.

Further details about the technology being used by WSU and the implementation strategy can be found here - https://apps.weber.edu/wsuimages/sustainability/Plans%20and%20Reports/ESIP%20II%20Manual%20wAppendices%202-1-2015.pdf


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.